Want to bag a summit but don't really want to climb a mountain? Black Crater at McKenzie Pass in Central Oregon may just be the perfect choice.

At 7,251 feet in elevation, the cinder cone is high enough to once have been carved by a glacier. It also has a krummholz zone, where weather-beaten pine trees grow along the ground rather than upright. The word is German for "crooked wood."

During the hiking season from mid-July to October, Black Crater has a well-maintained trail to the summit, the site of a former fire lookout. Much of the rest of the year, the McKenzie Pass Highway is closed by snow.

The barren summit of black and red cinders rewards hikers with one of the best views in Central Oregon. The 10,000-foot Three Sisters volcanoes dominate the southern horizon, while an expansive lava flow extends from McKenzie Pass to pointy Mount Washington to the north.

Black Crater is a worthy summit, even though a hiker is left to ponder bigger and more dramatic mountains that flank it.

Getting there: To reach the trailhead, drive Oregon 242 for 11 miles west of Sisters or 3.5 miles east of McKenzie Pass. Begin hiking on the south side of the road and climb a heart-thumping 2,351 feet in a round-trip distance of 7.6 miles.